When you start with Jesus and then add others, YOU will be a joyful person. We are not promised an easy road but you can be joyful in any situation you face.
"In this you greatly rejoice,
though now for a little while you may
have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
These have come so that your faith -
of greater worth than gold,
which perishes even though refined by fire -
may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus is revealed. . . . .
you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy . . ."
- Philippians 1:6-9
"But He knows that way that I take
when He has tested me. I will
come forth as gold."
- Job 23:10
We must remember that God has a purpose for everything He puts in our lives and we should look for His will in all we do. Then, be joyful for what God has done and is doing in our lives.
"For You make me glad by Your
deeds, O Lord;
I sing for joy at the works of Your
hands."
- Psalm 92:4
No matter what we are experiencing at this moment, it will not last forever.
" . . . weeping may remain for a night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning."
- Psalm 30:5b
A joyful person, no matter what their situation is in life, will . . .
"Shout with joy to God, all the earth!"
- Psalm 66:1
Even Jesus put it in these terms in John 15.
"As the Father has loved Me,
so I have loved you. Now remain in My love.
If you obey my commands, you will remain in My love,
just as I have obeyed My Father's commands and
remain in His love."
- verses 9-10 (emphasizing JESUS)
"My command is this:
Love each other as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this,
that he lay down his life for his friends."
- verses 12-13 (emphasizing OTHERS)
"I have told you this is that My joy
may be in you and that your joy may be complete."
- verse 11 (emphasizing YOU)
Cassandra Martin, in her book Echoing His Heartbeat: The Life of David, says it best in conclusion.
God is here. He loves you. He will never leave you. He wants you to draw deeper in His presence and find job. Psalm 118:24 declares, "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." We aren't called to rejoice because everything in our lives is good. We rejoice because every day our GOD IS GOOD!
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